The Eastern Continental Trail is a project linking several national scenic trails and other high-profile trails along the Eastern Seaboard, creating a continuous trail from the Florida Keys to Gaspésie. For the most part, it works relatively well with a limited amount of roads being used to connect the trails in areas where off-highway travel is not possible. The major exception to this is within Alabama, where a ~200 mile gap exists between the northern terminus of the Florida Trail and the southern terminus of the Pinhoti Trail.
Similar to the auto trails of the early 20th Century, the road walk is actually marked with yellow stripes painted on utility poles on the side of the road (https://www.google.com/maps/@31.307883,-86.4974163,3a,15y,127.89h,86.77t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sEmA6TnZ-fBXAK0PVnMZFxg!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D3.229339438093831%26panoid%3DEmA6TnZ-fBXAK0PVnMZFxg%26yaw%3D127.88586020092264!7i16384!8i8192?authuser=0&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDEwNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D). There is also a map available on the ECT website (https://easterncontinentaltrail.com/route).
Obviously, no alternative route for this stretch is going to be great for hiking, but I wonder what was going on in the minds of the people who plotted this. For one thing, there is a potential alternate which would put you through two state parks (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Florida%2FAlabama+Trail+Head,+Wing,+AL+36483/Roland+Cooper+State+Park/Paul+M.+Grist+State+Park/Flagg+Mountain/@32.4230557,-87.0615923,185889m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m26!4m25!1m5!1m1!1s0x8891af7146d8b5c5:0x67033f6732cfc763!2m2!1d-86.7760656!2d30.9969924!1m5!1m1!1s0x888f96767c936859:0xb5ed26256699f387!2m2!1d-87.2455925!2d32.0555968!1m5!1m1!1s0x888f195042db2a97:0x80d6ec6801e4e894!2m2!1d-86.9912704!2d32.601678!1m5!1m1!1s0x888eac61a7db06b9:0x74df7aaed3c36b36!2m2!1d-86.3545698!2d32.9782116!3e2?authuser=0&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDEwNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D) without going too far out of the way, which I believe is more in line with the spirit of the goal of the trail as a whole. The existing route is also not the fastest route you can walk on between the two endpoints (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Florida%2FAlabama+Trail+Head,+Wing,+AL+36483/Flagg+Mountain/@32.0824237,-87.086426,294399m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x8891af7146d8b5c5:0x67033f6732cfc763!2m2!1d-86.7760656!2d30.9969924!1m5!1m1!1s0x888eac61a7db06b9:0x74df7aaed3c36b36!2m2!1d-86.3545698!2d32.9782116!3e2?authuser=0&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDEwNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D). To make matters worse, it isn't even very safe for pedestrians: it haphazardly takes you along US 231 northwest of Montgomery, using a bridge without shoulders. For that reason, I think I would opt for my proposed alternate route rather than the one currently suggested if I were to thru-hike the trail.
Mods, please feel free to move this post if necessary: It involves road infrastructure, but I couldn't decide whether it was more appropriate for the main boards or Travel.
Reminds me of how the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail was rerouted to become the New England National Scenic Trail. Actually moved it from beautiful forested areas to...US 202 and other significant highways.
Not sure what the exact requirements are that are causing these bad alignments, but a review of them would be welcome.
Quote from: Rothman on January 11, 2026, 12:06:50 AMReminds me of how the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail was rerouted to become the New England National Scenic Trail. Actually moved it from beautiful forested areas to...US 202 and other significant highways.
Not sure what the exact requirements are that are causing these bad alignments, but a review of them would be welcome.
The Superior Hiking Trail Association has elected to permanently re-route the trail away from the original trail and onto the paved Gitchi-Gami State Trail for at least two bridges that have gone out. Of course, hikers also have the option of fording the original path, which I have done before. But it unfortunately makes me wonder about the long-term viability of these rugged wilderness trails when there is a more accessible/popular option close by.